


Mine

by NightingaleLost



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Ancestors, Dreambubbles, Original Character(s), Other, daymares, fantroll
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-06
Updated: 2013-05-06
Packaged: 2017-12-10 14:00:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/786834
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightingaleLost/pseuds/NightingaleLost
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There's never any telling who you meet in the afterlife, or the dreambubbles.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Mine

Archit gasped as a wave of freezing water hit him in the face and he choked, wheezing as his gills tried to flare open only to realize he was still above water. Another wave hit him and his arms flailed. The noises of his splashes were drowned out under a low roar and he desperately looked around but saw nothing but blue. Another wave hit him before he could figure out his own confusion and then he was underwater.

 

It was calmer here, and Archit opened his mouth and _breathed_ , and the rush of cold into the mouth and out his gills helped to clear his brain a little. His eyes scanned into the murky gloom of the ocean. He could feel the currents of above churned madly, there had to be a storm up above, but he didn't know this ocean. The water tasted different, and it was cold, much more colder than the warm seas of the shores he was used to.

 

' _I'da swear the tides blew me out after a nap, but..._ ' Archit looked below, into a darkness deeper than he had ever known. ' _These aren't th' seas I've sailed, these be different waters, sure as the fish swim.'_

 

Everything turned dark, and Archit looked above to see a great shadow pass over the sea's surface, as large as a whale, huge and powerful; the sea roared around it and Archit knew this was what has caused the currents above to be so loud. The hull of the giant ship soared above him and he stared at it in amazement. There were no ships of that size in his harbor, he didn't even think they made ships that big anymore anywhere on Alternia. He was so engrossed he didn't see the shape dart toward him in the gloom, and barked out a painful cry as something large and slippery smacked into him. His gills fluttered from the pain and he instinctively gripped onto it with his claws, expecting the bite of a shark or barracuda.

 

He felt nothing, and he looked at it as it dragged him alongside the ship, another cry escaping him as he saw it for what it was. Bright teal blood ran into his eyes as he stared at the remnants of a troll, flesh hanging from the bones in scraps and clothes hanging in tatters. The troll was dead, had to be dead, and he didn't understand how it was propelling itself without being a zombie until he saw the rope tied around its waist. His head snapped up to follow it above the water, and he realized it was attached to the ship at the same time he saw they were being dragged toward the hull. Archit saw the slimy glitter of algae and barnacles on the wood of the ship, his body suddenly freezing cold. The troll had been _keelhauled_. And in a minute, so would he.

 

He barely had time to flip the body in front of him before they both smacked into the ship, and he closed his eyes as he felt the flesh of the dead troll jerk and rip as it was forced along the hull. A pull from above almost caused him to let go of the body but he hung on, knowing that if he let go now the current would only drag him under the ship, and to a certain bloody death himself.

 

They were heaved up, up, breaking the surface quickly and Archit spat out the last of the seawater in his mouth as his lungs began to expand with breath. The thought crossed his mind about what he would do when when he was up there and he gritted his teeth, hanging on with one hand of claws as the other gripped the hilt of his sword.

 

There was a shout, rising above the swell of the waves below.

 

“Send the body to the deeps, we ain't got room for chirvey on board!”

 

Archit's eyes widened and he lunged for the railing, just as the body he was holding onto suddenly went loose and smacked back into the water. A face peered above his fingers. “Captain, we got ourselves a clinger!”

 

The voice from before roared out again. “Is the brinesucking fuck still breathin' then?”

 

Archit scrambled to pull himself on board but a heavy hand grasped onto the collar of his coat, flinging him onto the deck of the ship like a hooked fish. Claws dug into the wood as he stood up, only to see the sharp glitter of claws rush toward him, and gasp as the smacked into his chest, entangling into his shirt. He was pulled closer, and Archit felt warm air on his face as he stared into one blank, white eye.

 

Was...was this guy dead? But he was breathing...

 

“Seems we've fished ourselves a little wiggler, out fer a swim. Far from hive, arencha little wiggler?” The troll captain laughed in his face, shaking him roughly. Scabs on the corner of his mouth cracked and bled, and Archit watched a drop of violet blood slide down as he felt the tips of his boots graze the wood beneath him. Something in him knew this was not a troll to mess with, where no bluster or boast would help him if the troll decided he was better off dead than living. His chest was cold, and he kept his mouth shut. Dreads shook under the bandanna wrapped tight sideways over the other's head, and the other stared with his one uncovered eye down Archit's clothing, the tip of a claw lifting up Archit's necklace of pearls.

 

He snarled, and flung Archit down so hard the seatroll could have sworn he felt bones grate. A boot stamped down on his chest and he choked, fingers clutching at the boot pressing into his torso. There was a flash and Archit froze as a feeling of cold seeped into his ribs, coming from the long piece of metal sticking out from his chest; his eyes widened as it pulled at him, sliding out with a wet _shlik_.

 

“Ye did wrong takin' what was mine, ye stupid wiggler.” A hand reached out and yanked the string of pearls from around his neck; Archit flung out a hand to stop him but he could feel the strength leaving him. He wheezed as claws scored his chest, ripping out the front of his shirt with his sign on it. He bared his teeth at the other, and he felt blood spit between his teeth.

 

“...mine!!”

 

“IT'S MINE, YE SCURVY FINNED BASTARD, AND YER SKIN'LL HANG ON MY WALL FOR DARTS FOR DARIN' TO WEAR IT!!” The captain roared and the crew that had been their audience scattered, vanishing into the rigging and into the holds below. Nails dug grooves into a bare chest as the captain pointed to a sign scarred into the flesh there, and Archit saw it was identical to his own. He reached down to Archit's neck gills, digging into them as Archit struggled to scream properly.

 

“I would tear the flesh from yer bones, wiggler, flay ye with the point of my sword til yer back was chum for sharks, and feed ye meself to 'em. But I'd give ye piece by piece, while ye still breathed so I could hear ye scream as I snapped yer horns for drinking flasks,” the captain breathed heavily on him, “Oh how sweet it'd be to take my time with ye...yer skull would sit on my bed for when I didn't have a hole to fuck.”

 

Archit fought the bile rising in his throat, his fingers weakening their grasp on the captain's boots.

 

“Captain...” The voice of a different troll made the captain snarl and he tossed his sword to the side, impaling a troll who had been inching closer. A second one stayed further off, but called out. “Captain we're bein' tailed! They're flyin the blue colors!”

 

A wicked grin spread across the captain's face. “My barkfiend is comin' back to me...” he grabbed the rope from the railing and looped it around Archit's neck, standing up and dragging him across the wood. “Strike for shore, ye dogs, there's a fight in yer futures!!” As a flurry of activity exploded around them the captain looked down at the choking troll he was dragging along. “Tis a shame I won't get to play with ye, but ye'll still join the rest of the traitors down below!”

 

Archit's legs kicked frantically as he felt a jerk on his neck, and then he was flying through the air into the ocean. Before he hit the water to share the fate of the ripped up troll, he heard the laughter of the captain, and his last taunting shout echoing across the air.

 

“Should've never swam these waters, wiggler, this _entire ocean_ is mine!!!”

 

**

 

Archit shot up, his chest still cold and his hands clutching at his throat. It was dark, and for a minute he thought he was in the waters where the ship was again, ad heard the ringing of the captain's laughter in his ears. But after a few tense seconds the darkness faded into vague shapes around him, and as he felt his throat he discovered it was unmarked. He noticed it was hot around him.

 

He struggled to slow down his own heartbeat and was surprised to feel the faint prickle of tears. His jaw clenched and he rubbed at his eyes angrily, clenching his hands into his curls until it hurt. The bed beside him was empty, Mir was probably sleepfloating again, and while it was a normal occurrence, his absence left him feeling lonely in a way that hadn't happened in a long time. He tightened his grip until this time it was tears of pain that prickled at him. Just a stupid dream, a piss rotted daymare that someone like Cady would have laughed at. Or fought back at least.

 

_Shoulda fought. Was just a daymare, what kinda land-bitten pirate gets scared over a scurvin' daymare?_

 

He didn't want to think about the words the troll had said. Didn't want to think about the way the flaps of torn skin had wiggled in the waves under his fingers. Didn't want to think about why the troll had his sign.

 

_Fuck._

 

Archit smothered a pillow against his face with violet-stained fingers and screamed himself hoarse.


End file.
